Kike Hernandez brings to the Red Sox versatility in the field — he is expected to play up to five positions — and at the plate as a switch-hitter. AP file photo
There’s been a lot of talk about versatility in Fort Myers, Florida, this month. Boston manager Alex Cora believes his roster is filled with multifaceted players who can fill various needs for the Red Sox in the coming season.
That versatility extends to the top of the lineup.
Last year, Alex Verdugo appeared to answer the team’s quest for a leadoff hitter, batting at the top of the order in 33 of Boston’s 60 games. Verdugo’s .304 batting average and .804 OPS from the leadoff spot came in the wake of Mookie Betts’ departure. Betts had flourished at the top of the lineup, and there was uncertainty around who would take his spot. Andrew Benintendi was thought to be the answer, but he never seemed comfortable at the top of the order.
Benintendi, like Betts, is gone. And Verdugo isn’t Cora’s only option to be the first hitter of the game. Switch-hitter Kiké Hernandez has been the primary leadoff hitter through the first week of Grapefruit League games and has been scorching hot with a slash line of .625/.769/1.375.
Why move Verdugo out of a spot he flourished in last season? The 2021 Red Sox are a predominately right-handed hitting team, and putting Verdugo ahead of fellow lefty Rafael Devers at the top of the order isn’t ideal.
So Verdugo has batted second in his two games (he didn’t play the first five preseason games in favor of getting extra work in the cage). He might spend a lot of time there this summer.
“The way I see it, Alex is going to lead off or hit second,” Cora said on Friday.
That would allow Devers to fall back into the middle of the lineup, joining Xander Bogaerts and J.D. Martinez as the power plant of an offense that is expected to produce this summer. It might come as a surprise to you, but the Red Sox were one of the top offenses in baseball last summer. Boston led the American League with a .265 batting average, ranking third in on-base percentage and slugging percentage.
That was overshadowed by a historically bad season of pitching and a last-pace finish. Several new arms have been brought in to help rectify that. And Hernandez is one of several new hitters hoping to make the Sox offense even better this year.
He will also play some center field this season, meaning Verdugo will move to right field in those games. It’s no surprise that Cora will move Hernandez around the diamond. The former Dodger has played 75 or more games at five positions in his career.
“One thing’s for sure,” said Cora, “we’re not going to have a set lineup. We’re going to have moving parts the whole season.”
Cora admitted the constantly changing cast of characters in his lineup, and in the field, will be challenging. He also believes it will allow him to deploy a team that will give him his best chance to win on any given night. After last year, any advantage the Sox can get is welcome.
“We have a lot of options with the people that we have,” said Cora. “One thing for sure, it’s going to be a deep lineup. The top third is going to be very athletic, the middle of it is going to be all run-producers and the other ones are going to hit the ball out of the ballpark. We’re going to attack you in different ways with the same lineup, which is intriguing. It should be cool to see.”
After finishing last in 2020, the Red Sox are looking for a change when the 2021 season begins in three weeks. For the offense, change begins at the top. And that spot might change on a near daily basis.
Lewiston native Tom Caron is a studio host for Red Sox broadcasts on NESN.
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